Ice maker with a plurality of units



May 23, 1967 T. o. MATHUS ETAL ICE MAKER WITH A PLURALITY OF UNITS Filed Nov. 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 23, 1967 T. o. MATHuEs ETAL 3,320,759

ICE MAKER WITH A PLUHALITY OF UNITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 26, 1965 THEIR ATTRNEV 3,326,759 ICE MAKER WITH A PLURALITY F UNITS Themas 0. Mathues and Walter G. Kniln, both of Dayton, Ohio, assigner-s to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 509,913 9 Claims. (Cl. 152-137) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE An insulated cabinet is provided with six automatic liquid freezing machines located above a removable common storage bin into which is discharged the frozen liquid from each machine. Individual and multiple controls are provided for each of the machines. Duets with individual damper controls are provided to supply each machine with cold air from a common refrigerating apparatus. Individual feelers extending beneath each machine stops that machine whenever the frozen liquid reaches a predetermined height beneath it. The damper associated with each machine is closed to stop the ow of cold air to it whenever it is stopped.

This invention pertains to automatic liquid freezers which will produce sufficient ice as required for small commercial establishments such as restaurants and bars.

Large commercial ice makers have a capacity for producing l0() to 450 pounds of ice daily and are relatively expensive. This supply of ice is greater than many commercial establishments require so that it has been necessary for them to purchase larger and more expensive ice makers than they need. Furthermore, even though such machines have a large capacity, should they become inoperative, the ice making capacity is completely lost.

It is an object of this invention to take advantage of recent manufacture in volume of small automatic ice makers intended for installation in household refrigerators by incorporating a movement of such ice makers in an inexpensive small commercial ice maker or liquid freezer.

It is another object of this invention to provide an ice maker or liquid freezer which is likely never to become completely inoperative and which will always be capable of supplying some ice or frozen liquid.

It is another object of this invention to provide an ice maker or liquid freezer which efficiently makes the ice or liquid to be frozen, substantially at the rate it is needed or desired.

These and other objects are attained in the form shown in the drawings in which an insulated refrigerator cabinet is provided with six small inexpensive automatic liquid freezers of the type intended for installation in a household refrigerator. A single refrigerating system supplies air at below the liquid freezing temperatures for circulating the cold air in heat transfer relation with the freezing molds of each of the ice nia-kers or liquid freezers. A common storage bin is provided for receiving and holding the frozen liquid after it has been ejected from the molds. Each of the ice makers is provided with feeler means for stopping its operation whenever the frozen liquid builds up beneath it to a predetermined level. The freezers are arranged for individual operation so that only as many need to be kept operating as is necessary to supply the ice at the rate desired at any particular time. An arrangement is also provided for operating all of the individual freezers or for stopping the operation of all of the freezers. The storage bin may be kept below freezing temperatures even though all of the ice makers or liquid freezers are stopped. Any one or #Ice more of the ice makers or liquid freezers can be removed for repair without disabling the remainder of the ice makers or liquid freezers.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of my liquid freezer with the door open showing the selective controls and storage bin;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1 FIGURE 3 is an irregular vertical sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a wiring diagram illustrating the multiple control system for controlling the liquid freezers individually and collectively as well as the refrigerating system.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is illustrated an insulated refrigerating cabinet v20 having an insulated front door 2,2 and insulated top and bottom walls 24 and 26 and insulated side walls 2S. These walls inclose an insulated chamber 30 having at the top a horizontal partition wall 32 forming an upper duct or plenum chamber 34. The duct 34 is also provided with a front wall 36 which extends downwardly to form a shield concealing the front of the six individual automatic liquid freezing machines 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48. Each of these freezing machines .3S-48 are arranged to eject their frozen liquid into a common storage bin 50 which rests upon the bottom wall of the insulated compartment 30l Each of these liquid freezing machines 38-48 is provided with an individual feeler arm bearing the reference characters 52-62. These automatic liquid freezing machines for example, may be of the type illustrated in Ser. No. 283,165, file-d May 27, 1963, provided with a connection between the feeler member 52-62 and the switch 149 which will open the switch 149 to stop the operation of any individual unit when ice or frozen liquid builds up beneath the individual unit and engages its feeler means such as the feeler means 56. Other examples of automatic liquid freezing machines which may be used are Patent 3,071,933, issued Jan. 8, 1963, and Patent 3,041,- 844, issued July 3, 1962.

For freezing the liquid in the pockets of the mold 64 of the various ice makers 38-48 there are provided six large long parallel rectangular openings 66-76 which extend from front to rear in the wall 32 of the duct or plenum chamber 34. Each of these openings 66-76 is controlled by its own individual rectangular door 78-88, each of which is hinged on the right side as illustrated in FIGURE 3. For controlling these doors 'f8-S8 as well as their associated freezing machines 38-43 there is provided on the front of the wall 36 the manually operably knobs 901-100, each having OFF and ON positions and each operating to corresponding positions a switch such as the switches to 130 as well as simultaneously controlling their respective doors 7 8-88 through individual linkages such as the linkage 132. For example, when the knob 94 is in the OFF position, the door 82 is closed and the switch 124 is open. When the knob 94 is turned to the ON position the door 82 is open and the switch 124 is closed to operate the freezing machine 42.

In the machinery compartment 134 provided on the left side of the cabinet there is provided a sealed motor compressor unit 136 which draws evaporated refrigerant as low pressures from the evaporator 138 and compresses the refrigerant and discharges the compressed refrigerant into the condenser 140 where the refrigerant is condensed and flows under the control of a suitable flow device 142 into the evaporator 138 where it evaporates at temperatures bclow 32 F. such as 0 F. Air is drawn from the compartment 30 through the opening 144 at the bottom of the duct 146 containing the evaporator 138 through which the air,y after being cooled below water freezing temperatures, is drawn by the centrifugal fan 148 at the top. The centrifugal fan 148 is driven by the electrical motor 150 and discharges the air directly into the upper horizontal duct 34. The air at below freezing temperatures is scooped out of the duct 34 by the open doors 82-88 for circulation over the molds 64to freeze the liquid therein.

The liquid tobe frozen such as water, is delivered from a supply source through a supply pipe 152 under the control of a main valve 154 which controls the tiow into the discharge pipe 156 having branch pipes 158-168 and individual manually controlled valves 170 to 180 through which the liquid is delivered to the automatic solenoid control valves 182-192 which `control the delivery of the liquid to be frozen to the individual molds 64 of the freezers 38-48 -through the discharge -conduits 194-204. The air after flowing around the rnold 64 -of the operating individual ice makers having their doors open will flow through the storage bin 50 and keep frozen the frozen liquid which has been deposited thereon yfrom the various ice makers. Since all of the individual ice makers may be shut off to close all of the doors 78-88, there is provided an additional door 206 in closed positon to normally close the opening 208. However, when all of the doors 78-88 are closed the fan 148 delivers the cold air at suicient pressure to force open the door 206 and allow a flow of cold air through an opening 208 into and through the storage bin 50 -to keep frozen the frozen liquid stored therein.

One form of electrical control circuit is illustrated in the wiring diagram in FIGURE 4 having supply conductors L-1 and L-2. The supply conductor L-l is connected through a manual control switch 210 and *a thermostatic switch 212 with the motor compressor unit 136' having its second terminal connected by the conductor 214 to the supply conductor L-Z. The thermostatic switch 212 `will have its thermostat bulb 216 located at some suitable location in the compartment 30 so that the refrigerating system will maintain the compartment 30 at a temperature of about F. Connected in parallel with the switches 210 and 212 and the compressor motor 136 is the fan motor 150 which has connected in series with it a door switch 218 which is opened upon the opening of the door 22 to stop the fan motor 150 and the fan 148 and the freezing machines 38448. The conductor L'1 through the branch conductors and the individual control switches 1Z0-130 connects to each of the freezing machines 38- 48. The supply conductor L1 is provided with a master controldouble throw switch 220 which may be moved to disconnect from the individual control switches 1Z0-130 and to connect with the conductor 222 which, through branch conductors shunts each of the switches 1Z0-130 to make it possible to simultaneously turn on all of the individual freezing machines. Each of the freezers also has return branch conductors connecting with .the supply conductor L-2.,

One form of control-circuit for the freezing machine 38 is illustrated as representative of the control circuits for each of the ice makers 40-48. This control circuit includes a drive motor 259 which, through reduction gearing 261 drives a combined commutator and cam 165. The cam 165 on the rear face of the commutator as shown in FIGURE 4 has ya follower connecting with one end of a rotatable twistable flexible mold 64 of the type shown in FIGURE 2 and in Ser. No. 283,165.

In FIGURE 4 the unshaded portions of the commutator cam 165 illustrates the conductive area. This conductive area includes an inner-conductor ring segment 167 adapted to contact an inner-contact 169; a second conducting area or fragment of a ring 171 adapted to contact a contact 173; a third continuous conducting ring 175 adapted to contact a contact 177 and a fourth fragment of a conducting ring 179 adapted to contact a contact 181.

The solenoid valve 186 has one conductor 199 adapted to connect through the switches and 220 with the supply conductor L-l.y The second terminal of the valve 186 is connected by the conductor 219 to the Contact 173 cooperating with the ring segment 171. This ring segment 171 is orientated `with cam drive for the mold so that the water ll begins and ends at the proper time `and is of the proper duration to provide an adequate supply of water to provide the desired filling of the tray for the proper time, such as l5 seconds. The motor 259 is a synchronous motor to provide uniformity of timing. The inner commutator circular segment 167 is provided with a gap to stop the operation of the ymotor 259 during the cooling and freezing of the liquid in the mold 64. The motor 259 drives the commutator to move the inner-circular segment 167 away from the Contact 169 at the proper time following the lling of t-he tray to allow the mechanism to be stopped and the mold 64 held stationary during the cooling and freezing of the liquid in the mold. However, during this time that the contact 169 is out of contact with the segment 167, the contact 181 is in contact with the conducting segment 179. This allows current to flow from the supply conductor L-2 to the contact 177 and through the commutator conductors 175, 179 to the contact 181 which provides energization to the primary winding 228 of the transfonmer 230.` The second terminal of the primary winding 228 connects through the conductor 232 and the switches 120 and 220 to the supply conductor L-l. The transformer 230 has a secondary winding 234 having one terminal connected by the conductor 236 to the switch 149 which is normally closed but ywhich is opened when the feeler 56 is engaged and moved upwardly or prevented from moving downwardly by frozen liquid accumulating beneath it. The opening of the switch 149 by the feeler means 56 will prevent the restarting of the synchronous motor 259 .and the initiation of an ejectioncycle as long as the switch 149 remains in the open position.

Thesecondary winding 234 is arranged to provide a rectied voltage regulator power supply through the diode rectifier 274 and the resistor 278 in series circuit and la Zener diode 282 and a capacitor 284 in parallel-circuit. This rectified voltage control output is connected through the fixed resistor 286 and the variable resistance 292 with one-terminal of a relay coil 296 which is adapted to close the relay switch 298. The relay coil 296 is connected to a parallel circuit temperature compensating network consisting of a resistance 323 in parallel with a cornpensating thermistor 325. The thermistor 325 is responsive to the temperature of the compartment 30. The second terminalof this network and all of the resistors 323 and the thermistor 325 is connected to the conductor 229 connecting with the second terminal of the secondary winding 324.

Connected in parallel with the preceding network and the relay coil 296 is the sensing thermistor 331 which is mounted on the wall of the particular pocket of the mold (such as the mold 64) to which the discharge conduit or spout 198 delivers all of the liquid to be frozen. This sensing thermistor 331 is therefore responsive to the temperature of the liquid in the mold. v This thermistor has a low resistance at above water freezing temperatures so that there is not sucient current flow at such tempertures through the relay coil 296 to close the relay switch 298. However, if the liquid in the mold is cooled and freezes, the resistance of the thermistor 331 increases sharply thereby causing more current to ow through the relay coil 296 to close the relay switch 298. This starts the operation of the synchronous motor 259 which drives through a gear train the commutator 165 'attached to the reverse side of a cam gear. The cam gear-during its one turn of rotation will deliver both output torque and multidirectional rotation to dislodge and eject the frozen liquid from the ice mold; it also during the same single turn rotates the commutator type switching element 165. When the relay switch 298 closes, the commutator 155 rotates and the brush element 169 will be first to switch by making contact with circular path 167, thus completing a bypass circuit around relay switch 298. Next, the brush element 181 switches by dropping off the circular conductive path 179 thus opening the circuit to the primary winding 228 of transformer 230, thereby deenergizing the control network and causing the reed type relay switch 298 to open. The motor 259 Will continue to run as long as brush element 169 contacts the circular conductive path 167 of the commutator 165. When the brush element 173 makes contact with the circular conductive segment 171 the solenoid operated water valve 186 opens and will deliver water in timed relation to the rotation of commutator 165; the valve will close when the brush element 173 leaves the path 171. At a point in the rotation of the commutator 165 just before the brush 169 leaves the path 167 to end the mechanical cycle; the brush element 181 again makes contact with the conductive circular segment 179 restoring electrical energy to the primary winding 228 of the transformer 230. The relay switch 298 does not close because thermistor 331 has dropped in resistance in response to and recognition of the Warm water introduced into the tray 64 by the valve 186. The mechanical cycle ends when the brush element 169 leaves the circular conductive path 167 to deenergize the motor 259. A new cycle will not begin until the thermistor 331 reaches the resistance required to raise the current in the relay coil 296 to the level high enough to cause the relay switch 298 to close. This only occurs when the thermistor 331 is at a temperature equivalent to that of the frozen liquid.

Each individual freezing machine 3848, when turned on by one of the knobs 98-160, will operate continuously to deliver frozen liquid to the storage bin 50 beneath it. This operation will continue until the frozen liquid engages the feeler arm 56 so as to interfere with its movement and opening the switch to open the relay switch 298 to stop the operation of this particular individual freezing machine. The remaining freezing machines continue their normal operation until the frozen liquid accumulates beneath them and causes the actuation of their feeler arm. If all of the freezing machines are turned on, the operation of each will continue until the frozen liquid builds up beneath each sufficiently to cause the operation of each feeler arm. Unless interrupted, all of the freezing machines will stop similarly when the bin 50 is filled beneath them. This will not stop the circulation of the cold air; however, the operation of all of the machines may be stopped manually by the moving of the switch 22S to the open position. The machines may also be stopped individually by turning their respective knobs 99460. When all are shut ofi all the doors 78-88 will be closed and air circulation under the pressure created by the fan 148 will force open the door 2% to continue air circulation through the opening 268 to the interior of the storage bin 250.

Any one or more of the freezing machines 38-48 may be removed for repair, replacement or servicing without interfering with the operation of the remaining units. This assures that the production of frozen liquid will be continued even through one or more of the individual freezing machines becomes inoperative and requires repair.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A multiple liquid freezer including an insulated cabinet provided With a storage bin, a plurality of automatic liquid freezing machines in said cabinet, each of said freezing machines comprising a mold and means for supplying liquid to be frozen to said mold and means for ejecting frozen liquid from said mold for delivery to said storage bin, a common refrigerating means for freezing said liquid in the molds of all of said machines, said refrigerating means comprising liquefying and evaporating means and means for circulating a gas into heat transfer with said evaporating means and said molds of said freezing machines to freeze the liquid, individual selective control means for individually controlling each of said freezing machines independently of said common refrigerating means, said control means having operating and off positions, and means responsive to the movement of one of said individual control means to the off position for substantially reducing the circulation of said gas only to the mold controlled by the same control means.

2. A multi-ple liquid freezer including an insulated cabinet provided with a storage bin, a plurality of automatic freezing machines in said cabinet, each of said freezing machines comprising a mold and means for supplying the liquid to be frozen to said mold and means for ejecting frozen liquids from said mold for delivery to said storage bin, a common refrigerating means comprising refrigerant liquefying means and refrigerant evaporating means, duct means extending from said evaporating means to said molds of said freezing machines, means for circulating a heat transfer liuid in heat transfer with said evaporating means and thence through said duct means into heat transfer with said molds of said freezing machines, said duct means being provided with a plurality of individually controllable dampers for individually controlling the flow of the heat transfer iiuid in heat transfer with the molds of the individual freezing machines.

3. A liquid freezer as defined in claim 2 in which there are provided individual selective control means for individually controlling each of said freezing machines independently of said common refrigerating means, said individual selective control means also having means for individually controlling said dampers.

4. A liquid freezer as dened in claim 2 in which there are provided individual selective control means for individually controlling each of said freezing machines independently of said common refrigerating means, said control means having operating and oif positions, each of said control means having means effective in its olf position for closing the damper associated with the freezing machine controlled by the same control means.

5. A multiple liquid freezer including an insulated cabinet provided with a storage bin, a plurality of automatic liquid freezing machines in said cabinet, each of said freezing means comprising a mold and means for supplying liquid to be frozen to said mold and means for ejecting frozen liquid from said mold for delivery to said storage bin, common refrigerating means for freezing said liquid in the molds of all of said machines, a plurality of said freezing machines lbeing provided with individual feeler means for contacting frozen liquid beneath it in said storage bin, and means responsive to the engagement of a predetermined height of frozen liquid by any one of the individual feeler means for stopping the freezing machine only associated with the feeler means engaged by the frozen liquid.

6. A liquid freezer as defined in claim 5 in which each freezing machine has an electrical control circuit for its ejecting means provided with a stop switch and each freezing machine has a means extending beneath it into said storage bin, said means being provided with an operative connection with said stop switch for stopping the freezing machine to which it is connected in response to the accumulation beneath it of frozen liquid in said storage bin.

7. A multiple liquid freezer including an insulated cabinet provided with a storage bin, a plurality of automatic liquid freezing machines in said cabinet each having an electrical control means, each of said freezing neans comprising a mold and means for supplying liquid :o be frozen to said mold and means for ejecting frozen liquid from said mold for delivery to said storage bin, a common refrigerating means having electrical operating means for freezing said liquid in the molds of all of said machines, an electrical circuit having a first set of conductors provided with branch conductors connected in parallel circuit arrangement connecting said set with said control means of each liquid freezing machine, said circuit having a second set of conductors connected in parallel circuit with said rst set and connecting with said electrical operating means of said refrigerating means, a first manual control switch connected in series with said rst set of conductors and in parallel with said second set, and a second manual control switch connected in series with said second set yof conductors and in parallel with said first set for controlling said refrigerating means.

8. A liquid freezer as defined in claim 7 in which a manually operable control switch is connected in series with each branch conductor for individually controlling each of said freezing machines.

9. A liquid freezer as defined in claim 7 in which a manually operable control switch is -connected in series with'each branch conductor for individually controlling each of said freezings machines, a third conductor having branch conductors connecting with each of said freezing machines and extending in shunt circuit with the manually operable control switch of each of the freezing machines, said first control switch being of the double throw type `having means for alternately connecting in a first position with said first set of lconductors to render effective individual control of the freezing machines and connecting in a second position with the third conductorl to provide simultaneous control of the freezing machines, said first control switch also having an intermediate disconnected position.y

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,163,019 12/1964 Hall 62-137 3,226,944 l/l966 Connors 62-137 X ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MULTIPLE LIQUID FREEZER INCLUDING AN INSULATED CABINET PROVIDED WITH A STORAGE BIN, A PLURALITY OF AUTOMATIC LIQUID FREEZING MACHINES IN SAID CABINET, EACH OF SAID FREEZING MACHINES COMPRISING A MOLD AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING LIQUID TO BE FROZEN TO SAID MOLD AND MEANS FOR EJECTING FROZEN LIQUID FROM SAID MOLD FOR DELIVERY TO SAID STORAGE BIN, A COMMON REFRIGERATING MEANS FOR FREEZING SAID LIQUID IN THE MOLDS OF ALL OF SAID MACHINES, SAID REFRIGERATING MEANS COMPRISING LIQUEFYING AND EVAPORATING MEANS AND MEANS FOR CIRCULATING GAS INTO HEAT TRANSFER WITH SAID EVAPORATING MEANS AND SAID MOLDS TO SAID FREEZING MACHINES TO FREEZE THE LIQUID, INDIVIDUAL SELECTIVE CONTROL MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY CONTROLLING EACH OF SAID FREEZING MACHINES INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID COMMON REFRIGERATING MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS HAVING OPERATING AND OFF POSITIONS, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE MOVEMENT OF ONE OF SAID INDIVIDUAL CONTROL MEANS TO THE OFF POSITION FOR SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING THE CIRCULATION OF SAID GAS ONLY TO THE MOLD CONTROLLED BY THE SAME CONTROL MEANS. 